Phosphorus recovery methods from secondary resources,assessment of overall benefits and barriers with focus on the Nordic countries

Phosphorus (P) recovery and recycling play a crucial role in improving resource efficiency, sustainable nutrient management and moving toward circular economy. Increasing demand for fertilizers, signs of geopolitical constraints, and high discharge of P to waterbodies are the other reasons to pursue the circularity of P. Various research have been carrying out and several processes have been developed for P-recovery from different resources. However, there is still a huge unexplored potential for P-recovery specially in the regional framework from the four main P-rich waste resources: food waste, manure, mining waste, and sewage sludge. This study reviews recovery methods of P from these secondary resources comprehensively. Additionally, it analyzes the Nordic viewpoint of P-cycle by evaluating Nordic reserves, demands, and secondary resources to gain a systematic assessment of how Nordic countries could move toward circular economy of P. Results of this study show that secondary resources of P in Nordic countries have the potential of replacing mineral fertilizer in these countries to a considerable extent. However, to overcome the challenges of P-recovery from studied resources, policymakers and researchers need to take decisions and make innovation along each other to open the new possibilities for Nordic economy.

     

Putting first things first: Outcome and process focus in knowledge work teams

This paper presents a new perspective on the management of outcomes and processes in a knowledge team's work. Knowledge teams frequently face complex, open‐ended tasks for which the a priori specification of goals and work processes is not possible. Such teams must define these work elements themselves; emphasizing one over the other can lead a team to become either outcome‐or process‐focused, with implications for the level at which they identify their activities and the flexibility with which they conduct work. A survey study of student teams and a field study of organizational teams test the effects of outcome versus process focus on performance. Consistent with prior findings, the first study demonstrates that outcome focus is positively related to performance on complex, open‐ended tasks and that team members' level of action identification mediates the effects of outcome and process focus on performance. Action research conducted as part of the second study demonstrates the importance of early events in a team's life cycle and the challenge for managers who hope to influence their teams to have a greater degree of focus on outcomes over process. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of low concentrations of the phenylurea herbicide diuron on biofilm algae and bacteria

A system of recirculating channels was used in this study to examine the long-term effects (29 d) of environmentally realistic concentrations of the herbicide diuron (from 0.07 to 7 μg L⁻¹) on biofilm communities. The autotrophic activity of biofilms was affected by this herbicide, as reflected by a marked decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency. Diuron exposure also increased chlorophyll-a content and reduced the biovolume of diatom taxa at low concentrations. The effects on bacteria were also remarkable. Bacterial abundance was reduced after a week of exposure to the herbicide at a range of concentrations. Effects were on the number of live bacteria and on the increase in the leucine-aminopeptidase activity. It is suggested that inputs of herbicides to the river ecosystem at low concentrations may cause a chain of effects in the biofilm, which include inhibitory effects on algae but also indirect effects on the relationships between biofilm components.     

Toxicity of imidacloprid to the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea)

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide with neurotoxic action that, as a possible alternative for commonly used organophosphorus pesticides, has gained registration in about 120 countries for use in over 140 agricultural crops. Only few data are available on its toxicity for soil invertebrates. We therefore assessed the effects of imidacloprid on survival, weight gain, feeding rate, total protein content, glutathione S-transferase activity (GST), and digestive gland epithelial thickness in juveniles and adults of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber. After two weeks of feeding on imidacloprid-dosed food, weight gain (NOEC 5 microg/g dry food) and feeding rate (NOEC 10 microg/g) in juveniles, and feeding rate (NOEC<10 microg/g) and digestive gland epithelial thickness (NOEC<10 microg/g) in adults were most affected. In juveniles induction of GST activity and increase of total protein content per wet animal weight was detected at 5 microg/g dry food, whereas in adults a reduction of GST was observed at 25 microg/g (NOEC 10 microg/g). An estimate of actual intake rates suggests that imidacloprid affects isopods at similar exposure concentrations as insects. The toxicity of imidacloprid was similar to that of the organophosphorus pesticide diazinon, tested earlier using the same methods [Stanek, K., Drobne, D., Trebse, P., 2006. Linkage of biomarkers along levels of biological complexity in juvenile and adult diazinon fed terrestrial isopod (Porcellio scaber, Isopoda, Crustacea). Chemosphere 64, 1745-1752]. At actual environmental concentrations, diazinon poses a higher risk to P. scaber. Due to its increasing use in crop protection and higher persistence in soil, imidacloprid might however, be potentially more dangerous after long-term application. We conclude that toxicity testing with P. scaber provides relevant, repeatable, reproducible and comparable toxicity data that is useful for the risk assessment of pesticides in the terrestrial environment.     

Parental concern about children's traffic safety in residential neighborhoods

One hundred and five parents and nonparents responded to a questionnaire consisting of evaluative ratings (general evaluation, social status and safety concern) of six familiar residential neighborhoods; ratings of the traffic accident risk children in the age ranges 2–4, 5–6, 7–9 and 10–12 years run in these neighborhoods; and, finally, ratings of the strengths attributed to factors as causes of traffic accidents (environment, children, parents, drivers and chance). Across neighborhoods and age ranges of children, risk perceptions were found to be related to the rated strengths of the causes. Low-traffic volume neighborhoods were perceived as less risky and were attributed as less strong causes than high-traffic volume neighborhoods were. Perceived risk increased with age of child to a maximum, then decreased. The same relationship with age was found for the attributed causes environment and drivers. The strength of parents as cause was rated to decrease while the strength of child as cause was rated to increase with age. Chance was rated as the weakest cause and the rated strength did not vary across neighborhoods or age. Neither parentship nor gender, singly or in combination, had any clear effects. For parents and nonparents alike the general evaluation of the neighborhoods was influenced by safety concern but not by the particular aspect investigated, i.e. perceived traffic accident risk to children.     

Impact of air pollution on floral morphology of Cassia siamea Lamk

Cassia siamea plants growing at two different sites (polluted and non-polluted) on two important roads of Agra city exhibited significant differences in their flowering phenology and floral morphology. The flowering in plants growing at polluted site is delayed and there was a marked reduction in flowering density, flowering period, size of floral parts, pollen fertility, fruit and seed-set. SEM observations revealed the presence of well developed glandular structures and reduction in the number and size of large stomata on the anther surface at polluted site. These changes were found to be closely associated with the extent of air pollution caused mainly by significant in the number of automobiles.     

UVR-induced photoinhibition of summer marine phytoplankton communities from Patagonia

During austral summer 2006, experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280–400 nm) on carbon fixation of natural phytoplankton assemblages from Patagonia (Argentina). Surface water samples were collected (ca. 100 m offshore) at mid morning using an acid-cleaned (1 N HCl) dark container. The short-term impact of UVR (measured as radiocarbon incorporation) was immediately assessed by exposing samples to three artificial illumination treatments: PAR (400–700 nm), PAR + UV-A (320–700 nm), and PAR + UV-A + UV-B (280–700 nm). Pico-nanoplankton characterized the assemblages, and taxon-specific pigment fingerprinting combined with CHEMTAX and supplemented with microscopic observations showed varied proportions of diatoms, chlorophytes, and cyanobacteria throughout January–February 2006. Photosynthetic efficiency, as assessed through assimilation numbers, was high [between 4.4 and 10.4 μg C (μg chl-a)⁻¹ h⁻¹], and it was probably favored by the supply of inorganic nutrients from the Chubut River. UVR-induced photoinhibition appeared to be related to the taxonomic composition: in general, higher photoinhibition was observed when diatoms dominated, whereas this was lower when samples were dominated by chlorophytes. Our data suggest that xanthophyll pigments might have provided only limited protection in these already highlighted acclimated assemblages.     

Fast removal of heavy metals from water and soil samples using magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Heavy metal discharge from anthropogenic sources on open soil surfaces and in natural water bodies poses serious environmental and health concerns. In...     

Hydrochemical profile for assessing the groundwater quality of Sambhar lake City and its Adjoining area

Quality assessment of water is essential to ensure sustainable safe use of it for drinking, agricultural, and industrial purposes. For the same purpose the study was conducted for the samples of water of Sambhar lake city and its adjoining areas. The standard methods of APHA were used to analysis 15 samples collected from hand pumps and tube wells of the specified area. The analytical results show higher concentration of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity sodium, nitrate, sulfate, and fluoride, which indicate signs of deterioration but values of pH, calcium, magnesium, total hardness, and carbonate are within permissible limits as per WHO standards. From the Hill-piper trilinear diagram, it is observed that the majority of groundwater from sampling stations are sodium?Cpotassium?Cchloride?Csulfate type water. The values of sodium absorption ratio and electrical conductivity of the groundwater were plotted in the US salinity laboratory diagram for irrigation water. Only the one sample fall in C₃S₁ quality with high salinity hazard and low sodium hazard. Other samples fall in high salinity hazard and high sodium hazard. Chemical analysis of groundwater shows that mean concentration of cation is in order sodium > magnesium > calcium > potassium while for the anion it is chloride > bicarbonate > nitrate > sulfate.